Full Count (The Catcher Series Book 1) Read online

  “What?” he shouts, turning around and towering over me. He is fuming in the intense July heat, and we are no longer eye level to each other like we were as kids. “Yeah I’m fucking mad at you, Buzz. Don’t think for a second that you’re going to take a jet-ski out alone anytime this weekend. I’m going to be watching you.”

  “Sky, what the hell did I do?” I question him even though he is trying to be intimidating with his hard eyes. I don’t think I did anything wrong so I’m not sorry, but I want to know what upset him. It’ll be no fun having my partner in crime be mad at me all weekend.

  “You’re way too boy crazy. That guy was easily in college. You’re thirteen,” he reminds me. He’s currently fifteen, but he might as well be my dad with the way he’s lecturing me. He acts so old and wise, but I saw him checking out the girls at the sandbar; he’s just as guilty as me. But his jealous side is feisty.

  “Oh, I am? I had no idea. Thank you for telling me,” I snap after realizing maybe it’s not jealousy and that he’s playing the big brother card. It’s moments like this when my crush on him dissolves, but that feeling never lasts long. I always convince myself he has an ulterior motive to shielding me from other guys.

  “Imagine if Alex would’ve seen that,” Skyler threatens, which makes me shudder.

  “Rex wouldn’t have cared,” I lie. He totally would; I just don’t want to admit it.

  “How old are you, five? I think you can pronounce your L’s now,” he teases me, knowing that when we were really little I couldn’t say my brother’s name correctly. I used to try so hard but it only came out as Ah-rex, which eventually I shortened to Rex.

  “And I think you know that my name is Bianca, not Buzz,” I snicker. I actually love that I have a nickname that only Skyler uses. Usually when someone uses my full name it’s to yell at me. Being identified as Buzz makes me feel tough, but he was teasing me and I wanted to give it right back to him.

  “Stay away from the fucking lake,” Skyler adds, piercing his eyes into me so I understand that nothing has changed from my antagonizing. He’s sexy when he’s mad.

  Obviously this just makes me want to go out on the lake even more, and I thought he was smart enough to know that. It’s in my nature. So after everyone goes to bed that first night, I sneak out the backdoor and down to the dock. I look up at the house to make sure no one’s watching me before I start up the jet-ski and head towards the high dive on the other side of the lake. There’s no wake allowed after sunset, so I slowly glide across the water until I arrive and throw the anchor down. I swim the short distance between my jet-ski and the diving block in the darkness and climb up the tall ladder that’s probably three stories high.

  All I’ve wanted to do all summer is jump off this high dive in the middle of the night. No one would ever let me do it, so I have always planned on sneaking out and doing it alone. It’s a rush I can’t explain to anyone. I just want to feel something, and jumping off this high dive during the day with my family and a bunch of strangers around just doesn’t do it for me.

  As my toes curl over the edge of the board with my eyes closed, I hear someone yell, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  I look out into the water and see Skyler standing on another one of our jet-skis close to mine. Of course it’s Skyler. He’s the only fifteen year old I know that swears that much. “None of your business,” I snarl from above. He might be standing up, but I have the higher ground.

  “If you wanted to come out here, why didn’t you just ask me?” he questions half nicely. I think he’s more upset that I didn’t ask him to go on this adventure with me than me actually disobeying his earlier order.

  “Because you were mad at me,” I call down to him.

  “Buzz… I just don’t want you getting any ideas. I know you’re crazy enough without being with guys like that,” he explains. Shaking his head, he motions his hand towards the water below me. “You gonna jump or what?”

  “Maybe? What’s the rush?” I tease. I’ve jumped off this high dive dozens of times - all during daylight with people surrounding me. The rush is going to be doing it totally alone in the darkness. I’m not trying to impress anyone; I just want to do it for myself. Even at thirteen I don’t care what anyone thinks about me, even Skyler.

  “I kind of wanted to go to bed, sweetheart,” he chuckles. Sweetheart.

  “I don’t need a babysitter. Go to bed then,” I suggest.

  “And miss this plunge? No way,” he taunts. “C’mon, B. Do I have to come up there and join you?”

  “No. I wanted to do this alone,” I snap. His head falls to release the playful eye contact we just had, and I kind of feel guilty but only for a second. After all, he horned in on my solo adventure without my permission.

  “Fine. I’ll leave you to drown,” Skyler threatens, sitting back on his jet-ski.

  “Hey… now that you’re here you might as well,” I suggest, hoping it makes up for my sass I just threw at him. Okay so maybe I do care what he thinks… but only a little.

  “I’ll just watch. I don’t want to get all wet. I’m in my clothes,” he tells me with half of a smirk. His expression kind of resembles Flynn Ryder’s smolder, but I don’t have time to contemplate that at the moment without being obvious.

  Attempting to punish him for intruding on my excursion, I announce my departure and without a doubt in my mind, I plunge into the water as near to his jet-ski as I can without actually hitting it. I swim in the darkness of the lake until I reach the surface and pop my head out of the cool water. Looking over at Skyler, I giggle as he wipes his face from the water I splashed on him.

  “Oh, you think that’s funny?” he antagonizes me. Before I can even answer back with a smart-ass comment, Skyler jumps in the water and starts splashing me with the tidal wave he creates with his arm. I turn away as I try to splash back, and we continue our water fight until I feel his arm grab me around my waist and pull me so close to him that I’m sure he can feel my heart beating like a drum at a rock concert. His eyes devour into mine as the splashing stops and I’m pretty sure we both hold our breath as the tension builds as high as the diving board that I just conquered. The grip his arm has on my body is so secure that I don’t even bother treading water. I can’t. He’s so close to me. He’s holding me so close to him. It’s unreal. His free arm grips onto the diving block so we are totally still as he leans down to near me. Oh my God! He’s going to kiss me? It’s like we are living in slow motion, and our noses touch as our lips approach each others’ and he tightens his hold on me. And then he winces back as a bright light shines in our faces. Busted.

  2 Skyler Swanson

  Just as I’m about to have my first kiss and what I assume what will be Buzz’s first too, the fucking lake patrol interrupts us. It’s difficult for me, even at age fifteen, to remain calm and not scream off the heads of the patrol guys. I have to channel my anger into making sure Buzz isn’t going to drown in my arms if she happens to forget she’s in the water; she stopped treading water when my hand touched her a minute ago. Our bodies are suctioned to each other and I squeeze her closer to me; I’m not going to let anything happen to her. If she gets in trouble, so will I.

  “You guys can’t be out here,” a burly voice announces as he continues shining the headlight in our faces.

  “Alright,” I oblige loudly.

  “No wake on your way back,” a shyer, younger voice calls out to us.

  “You okay?” I whisper as Buzz curls into my shoulder. She keeps her composure well, and I feel her heartbeat decrease to a normal level. It’s not nearly as fast as when I was about to kiss her. When she nods and finally takes a deep breath, I tell her, “I’ll follow you back,” and help her climb onto her jet-ski.

  I want to flip off the lake patrol so badly for ruining my first romantic moment with Buzz. Maybe it’s a sign that this shouldn’t happen. I’m not sure where the need originated; it was just kind of going to happen. Growing up together we’ve had so many memori
es and connections, but she’s also a girl. An attractive girl. An attractive girl who loves sports, who’s actually athletic and hilarious and daring. But she’s my best friend… as well as my other best friend’s little sister. You’re treading dangerous waters, Skyler Swanson.

  When we enter the house, everything is dark except for the moonlight reflecting off the lake. Thank God we have that because otherwise we wouldn’t be able to see anything and we would step on everyone sleeping all over the basement floor. Had we not gone for a late night dip in the lake, we could just go back to our “beds” on the floor, but we are slightly cold and soaking wet. Our rooms are occupied, so I’m at a loss as to what to do about changing clothes without blowing our cover that we left the house in the middle of the night. My mom would definitely hear us if we go up to the open kids’ bedroom; she sleeps like a guard dog. Buzz walks up the steps behind me to the middle level of the house where no one is sleeping.

  “All my clothes are in the bedroom,” she tells me as she grabs two towels from the linen closet and throws one at me before wrapping one around herself.

  “Maybe the laundry room has some clothes in it from last time we were here,” I think, knowing I’m missing some t-shirts at home. Luckily when we enter, my hopes are confirmed. Three of my t-shirts are hanging above the washer and dryer, along with three pairs of my athletic shorts and socks. I grab a Rocket t-shirt with my last name and number seven on the back and throw it at Buzz. Before I can even give her a pair of shorts, she throws her wet t-shirt off to reveal her bikini. I have to turn away before I have the chance to become aroused, so I just take a t-shirt and shorts for myself and leave to lock myself in the bathroom. I’m acting like I’ve never seen a girl in a bikini before. Shit, I’m acting like I’ve never seen Buzz in a bikini before! The girl practically lives in one! What the fuck is wrong with me?

  After I take an extra few minutes to change and hang up my wet clothes in the bathroom I’m convinced Buzz is downstairs and in her “bed” already.

  Wrong. She’s fucking waiting for me.

  “What’s up? You alright?” I whisper, trying to read her nervous expression. What is she thinking? She looks like she’s going crazy. God, I just want to fucking kiss her.

  “Yeah, I’m just cold, and it looked like Tiff stole my blanket when we were walking over her,” she explains, but I’m still confused. “And Rex, of course, stole my pillow.”

  “This is your house, too. Just grab another blanket somewhere,” I suggest.

  “All the blankets are being used. It’s fine; I’ll just grab some beach towels,” she decides, starting to go back to the linen closet.

  “Stop,” I demand, her depressing antics not needed in the middle of the night. Or ever, really. “My blanket is a double; just share with me. Or steal yours back from Tiff.” Her breath catches after the first half of my suggestion, proving she’s clearly nervous to be that close to me again. Understandable. We’ve already been caught once tonight.

  “I don’t have a pillow… it’s fine. I’m just going to sleep on the couch up here,” Buzz informs me. Her eyes dart across the room in obvious avoidance. This is the effect you have on her? She’s drowning in nerves.

  I don’t even say good night or anything to her as she walks into the living room and plops on the couch. I have no intention of letting her sleep on the couch with only a beach towel. Immediately after going back downstairs to get my large blanket and two pillows, I head back up to meet her. The couch is long enough that if we curl up onto either side we can both fit. Obviously it’s going to be a little cozy since we’re lanky teenagers, but I don’t fucking mind. Her brother, on the other hand, will probably care a whole fucking lot.

  I throw the blanket over her and take my spot next to her. “What are you doing?” she wonders breathlessly.

  “Making sure you don’t fucking freeze,” I tell her. It might be the middle of summer, but our parents have the air conditioner cranked up, and her hair is still fucking wet from jumping off the high dive and me splashing her. I’m not about to have her wake up sick and have her entire Fourth of July weekend ruined and not be able to play in our annual Sandlot night game. I’m pretty sure it’s a big reason why it’s her favorite holiday. I know it’s why it’s mine.

  The next morning I hear all the parents come down onto the main level. They’re talking and stomping their feet down the stairs until the first one must see us on the couch and shushes them all like they’re at a surprise party. I imagine all the moms staring at us as if we are a box of kittens on the side of the road.

  “Aw, look at that,” one of them whispers. I’m pretty sure it’s Benny and Tiffany’s mom, Theresa Locket.

  “I told you they’re going to end up together,” another one teases. Mom? I question silently without opening my eyes to see. She thinks we’re going to end up together? Great.

  “Not if Alex has anything to say about it,” a third voice argues. It’s Beth Ferrari, Alex and Buzz’s mom. Fuck.

  About a half hour later I can smell that breakfast is almost ready but am adamant about faking being asleep until someone wakes us up. I have to act like this is innocent - because it is - and the best way to do that is to have backup from Buzz. I don’t want to be attacked by all the moms alone. If anyone knows how to deter parents from squeezing her cheeks and gawking, it’s Buzz.

  Finally I hear a female voice call, “Breakfast!” loud enough for the entire lake to hear. It’s piercing but does the trick. Maybe those girls from the sandbar heard the invitation and will show up. I slowly sit up and glance over at Buzz who’s a little groggy, clearly unaffected by the moms’ loud entrance earlier. She wipes her cheek of the drool from sleeping with her mouth open before looking at me to see if I notice. I do, but I don’t fucking care. She’s sleeping in my baseball t-shirt; I’m not going to complain. She’s the realest and most gorgeous teenage girl I have ever met, and she’s rocking my t-shirt. The last thing I want is for her to storm out and change into her own clothes. There’s nothing sexier than seeing a girl in my clothes - not that it happens often, but when it does, damn.

  “Ugh, they saw us, didn’t they?” she quietly asks me, pointing at our moms in the kitchen.

  “Yeah, they did,” I confirm. She rolls her eyes and sighs deeply, probably thinking the same thing as me: we’re going to get shit for this. “Hey,” I say, grabbing her knee that’s underneath the blanket. Her eyes light up as they meet mine. “Us against them, who wins?”

  “Us, every time,” she answers, a slight grin growing on her face. The first time I asked her that and she gave that as her answer was the summer before I entered seventh grade. We went exploring in the neighboring cabin to the left of ours that was under construction and therefore unlocked. Our dads caught on from hearing our childish screams echo in the empty house and busted us. As we heard them approaching us on the squeaky floorboards, we exchanged those words and made it out alive. Ever since then it’s been our way of encouraging the other one to do something even if it may result in severe consequences. Together we make an unstoppable team and have more fun on adventures than anyone else in our crew.

  “Then let’s go. I’m starving,” I convince her.

  I walk into the kitchen and purposely avoid eye contact with anyone except for the occasional glance at Buzz from across the table. The spread of breakfast food covers the table as we sit across from each other and everyone else fills the gaps in between.

  “You got up early,” Alex announces about me to everyone, and all the moms fall silent to listen for my response. Will the real housewives of Hinsdale please stand up? My God.

  “I slept on the couch up here,” I surprise all the moms by being honest. “It got too hot downstairs.” There’s the lie.

  “That’s weird. I was freezing,” the blonde of our group, Tiffany, blurts out.

  “Really? Even with two blankets?” I recall. Out of the corner of my eye I see Buzz’s head snap towards me and her green eyes glare.

  “
Yeah, I’m not usually as nice of a person when I’m sleeping. Sorry, B,” Tiffany apologizes.

  “It’s fine. I managed,” Buzz brushes it off and drops her eyes from me.

  “Wait… where did you sleep?” her female best friend wonders once she finally connects the dots. She’s not a stereotypical dumb blonde. In fact, it’s a good thing Tom Locket didn’t get in on the Battle of the Kids bet with my dad and Allen Ferrari. She could give us all a run for our money - well maybe not Alex. He’s a fucking mastermind, though.

  The silverware and plate clink together as soon as Buzz pushes out her chair and stands up to excuse herself from the table. Her expression is blank as if she hasn’t heard Tiffany’s question at all and is just bored with the table conversation. This doesn’t surprise anyone in the room. We’re all used to Buzz avoiding confrontation and rebelling against what’s expected.

  Guess she’s not having breakfast this morning.

  When she’s out of the room, the moms go back to murmuring about whatever it is that attracts their gossipy ears, and Tiffany looks at me with concerned eyes.

  “Should I not have asked?” she questions me in a serious tone. I can tell for years that, at times, Tiffany has felt like second best to me in Buzz’s eyes. To her, I can do no wrong. Even if Buzz is mad at me, she isn’t mad for long probably because she knows I don’t care since it’s usually over something stupid. Buzz isn’t one to hold a grudge against anyone. She always says life’s too short for that. But she doesn’t like to be in the spotlight either, and Tiffany knows that.

  “You’re fine. You know how she is,” I deter from answering in any further detail. If I do, Buzz will find out and be even more upset that we are talking about her when she wasn’t here.

  Around noon we have the boat all ready to go, and my dad drives us out into the lake so we can all take turns wake-boarding. I go first, and it takes me two tries before I can actually stand up and skim the water since it has been a while since I wake-boarded. But once I get up, I ride in the wake as my dad speeds up a little faster, cruising around the lake filled with other families enjoying the holiday weekend just like us. After a few minutes, he slows down and Buzz trades places with me. She’s the professional out of all of us kids, standing up immediately like she’s skateboarding on the water. My dad turns slightly, and I watch as Buzz purposely shifts outside of the wake. Show off. Her muscles define her entire body from her calves all the way up to her shoulders. She’s holding on for dear life, but her facial expression appears as though she’s strolling down the street.